First days with Pup Ryu!

6/11/2013

I had been looking for a pup on and off for over a year through petfinder.com.  I feel very strongly about adopting a dog from a shelter compared to a breeder/puppy mill.  But searching for the perfect dog through a shelter is very difficult and competitive.  I applied online for multiple dogs however each time I was just a little bit to late or was not qualified because the dog needed to be around people 24/7 and was not suitable for a working household.  I decided to add some additional sites to my search including Craiglist which has ads for 2 kinds of adoptions:  1.  Breeder/puppy mills trying to sell there dogs and 2.  People who got a dog but could no longer keep them for different reasons.  Since I was okay with number 2. I added that to my search as well - and that is how I stumbled upon Ryu.

There was add for a Maltese/Poodle mix up for adoption in south San Jose.  He as purchased by his owner from a breeder a few days prior and then the owner found he could not keep animals in his apartment complex and he could not break his lease.  The owner was in San Jose visiting and was going back to LA that night and he was hoping he could find a home for the puppy in a matter of a few hours.  That is where we came in.  We contacted the owner and met up with the owner hours before he left LA.  So I left work to meet the pup of my dreams.  I was really nervous about doing a Craigslist transaction -- however -- I followed the safety method of not going inside, meeting in a public place etc.

Once I met the pup it was love at first sight!

Next was figuring out what I needed!  And here are the necessities:

- Carrying case/crate
- Puppy bed
- Food/Water bowls
- Puppy pads
- Toys (Puppies are always biting!)
- Puppy gate

All of these items can be found at specialty stores like Petco or Petsmart, or discount stores like Ross.

The upcoming weekend Ryu had his first doctors appointment.  At the vet we bought a puppy package which includes stool checks and all of his first year shots.  It was determined at the first visit that he had not been de-wormed yet.  Apparently worms are common in puppies and the process of de-worming the puppy is a 3 days of medication to kill the worms in their stomachs which will then appear in their poop!  SO GROSS!  After some tummy pains and difficulty with the medication (vomiting and diarrhea) Ryu is fully recovered.

Ryu already had his first bath - I dont think he knew what to think of it...

This upcoming weekend - Ryu will be 8 weeks and getting his first round of shots and he will be going on his first road trip with me up to Auburn to meet my Gma!  I am so excited!  :)